Robot invasion: Android and Google Voice coming to Verizon

Verizon has enlisted Google's Android mobile platform to help as it fights to …

Google and Verizon are teaming up to bring the Android mobile platform to Verizon's network. In a joint announcement issued today, the two companies revealed that they are collaborating with handset makers to develop new Android-based smartphones.

Verizon was originally skeptical of Android and snubbed the platform, expressing a preference for the competing LiMo initiative. Verizon made a strong commitment to LiMo last year but didn't rule out the possibility of adopting Android too. Although the first major LiMo smartphones are beginning to show up in the European market, the platform has attracted very little attention here in the US and hasn't gained much traction with third-party developers yet. This being the case, Verizon seems to have lost interest in LiMo and is moving forward with Android.

Verizon's plan to offer Android phones will come as no surprise to many of our readers. It's been well-known for some time that Motorola's second Android device, codenamed Sholes, was designed for Verizon. As we mentioned in our recent coverage of the Android 1.6 release, the latest version of Google's platform introduces CDMA support, which is needed to make Android work on Verizon's network.

The Motorola Sholes, also known as Tao, is one of the first Android devices with compelling hardware specs. Rumors indicate that it will include an OMAP 3430 processor and a WVGA display. It is said to be a Google Experience phone and will not have Motorola's custom MotoBlur interface. Verizon says that it will be launching two Android handsets within a matter of weeks. There is some evidence indicating that the second one will be an HTC touchscreen device with HTC's Sense UI.

Verizon has been feeling a lot of pressure from AT&T, which has won converts by being the exclusive iPhone carrier in the US. Verizon's handset offerings have historically lagged far behind other carriers, but the company has made a strong effort in recent months to make its device lineup more appealing. Launching a top-notch Android handset will boost Verizon's competitiveness on the device front. Verizon is also quick to point out that its network offers broader coverage; in a recent advertisement, Verizon takes aim at its rival's network coverage and mocks the iPhone. AT&T, for its part, has faced strong criticism recently from iPhone users over the growing number of dropped calls and other technical problems.

In another potshot at AT&T, Verizon has stated unambiguously that it will fully support Google Voice on its network. AT&T and Apple have received close scrutiny from the FCC over their rejection of the Google Voice application for the iPhone, though AT&T may be bending on this issue, and the carrier recently revealed that it will be opening its 3G network to VoIP software in response to the FCC's concerns.

Ultimately, Verizon's adoption of Android marks an important step forward for Google's mobile platform, which was previously only available through T-Mobile in the United States. As the largest carrier, Verizon has the clout to bring Android to many more users.

Originally posted by newwb:So who will license Apple's patent to restrict features on a device, Google or Verizon?

Wow, nice trolling. Anyway, for the rest of us, this is great news --- so long as they don't restrict too many features and nickel and dime you for every text and every MB of data sent

Btw, Verizon is the 2nd largest carrier in the US? I thought they were the 1st by a wide margin (tens of millions of customers above AT&T)! What happened, did AT&T end up eating their customers and the resulting lunches? Just shows how fast companies can fall if they ignore innovation.

Whoosh! I've been holding my breath for about 2 years waiting for Verizon to get a phone worth wanting!

When you're stuck with Verizon because only they penetrate your building far enough to use a wireless broadband card on your laptop it's just not been worth the effort to upgrade the phone. All I've ever gotten through them was one of the simple free phones. With a decent Android phone hopefully I'll be able to get debian loaded and not have to pull out the laptop every time I need to ssh into something. Or nmap. Or real tethering/port forwarding/network bypassing. Or, dare I say it, MythTV ;-)

And, it's even got a real keyboard. Drool-worthy.

Now, for the win, does it have USB-OTG? That's the last thing required, given the WVGA screen, the keyboard, and the likely (I'm guessing here) OMAP 3xxx processor. Once this puppy is rooted it'll be the perfect pocket computer.

Originally posted by Kaarthik Sivakumar:So now Google voice will be the mark of an "open" mobile carrier? The carrier can block whatever other features they want, but if they allow a google voice app on the phone, then they MUST be "open".

Originally posted by Baeocystin:I'll be picking up Sholes on launch day. It's the first I've been excited about a phone release in some time.

I would love one of those and it's the first thing that I've seen that might draw my eye from my Pre. Unfortunately unless Verizon lowers their rates to compete with Sprint, I can't justify it. Hopefully lots more high-end QWERTY Android phones come out over the next year or so. Between WebOS and Android it's really turning into a battle of the Linux smart phones.

Originally posted by Reaper0Bot0:Penforhire, please tell me how they crippled the OS in the Blackberry Storm or Tour to cripple those devices. I'm waiting....

<crickets>

It was obviously hyperbole but you can't deny that when it comes to phones that are not exclusives, the Verizon versions have a tendency to be missing things like GPS drivers, RAM, Wifi, etc. or just be covered in V-cast branding. It's not the case with every one but they are the only US carrier that does this at all (that I am aware of).